Chap turned up this afternoon with a big lorry to collect the water bowser - must have been a 7.5 tonner I expect, when he saw the remnant of pipeline that he had to pick up as well he said he'd have to come back with a gang to collect it as he couldn't manage on his own. I offered to put it on with the forklift if he dropped his 'drop side' so I could slide it on. When it came to it, rather than drop the side he had me drop the pipe from probably 5 foot, by heck it made an enormous noise into an empty steel floored lorry

On the subject of it never being boring here, I've just walked over to the workshop to play with MACH3 to be greeted by the squealing of new born piglets, so Blossom, who's been walking about very 'heavy with child', must have just farrowed. Daren't go too close to inspect yet or she'll panic.

Spent a few hours on Monday pressure washing the JCB803 and it's buckets, as they'd left it in a bit of a mess, then darn me if they didn't send a gang over this morning to start the clear up ASSUMING they could use my digger.

Now if Clancy Docwra who are SE Waters contractors had rung up, said thanks for it's previous use, can we (at least) replace the diesel we've used, and if we agree term can we use it again I would have reluctantly agreed if they also agreed to clean it up when done. But to ASSUME without even contacting me got very short shrift

So some hours later they came back with a hired one and have started back filling the trenches.

Thanks Matthew but I think it's in hand. I had a phone call today from a very apologetic S E Water liaison woman who says she's going to fire rockets in the appropriate direction. After all SE Water are the Client and Clancy Docwra the Contractor. There is supposedly a Clancy Docwra manager coming to see me tomorrow so we'll see how that goes first.

(off to the Abattoir crack of dawn with a couple of lambs, but I doubt they'll be around until I'm back)

So yesterday a chap turned up in the afternoon and back filled most of the trenches, but said he needed a bigger digger. So this morning the 1 Ton was taken away and the 3 ton arrived, and he 'finished off' including loading the cut down hedge into a big lorry along with the soil that wouldn't go back in the trench (so no doubt we'll have 'sinkage' in a year or so as it settles.

He's done a fair job, but it's still a heck of a mess considering that before they came it was a lawn awaiting it's first cut of the season Meeting arranged for tomorrow afternoon with their liaison person to discuss what they'll do to re-instate the grass and the hedge (and the bit of fence demolished by Mr 3 ton digger ) He did at least confess he'd done it

Now since this fiasco we've had several leaks about the place A chap turned up to sample the water quality since the repair and I got him to test the pressure - he admitted that it was very high at 7 bar but there is actually no upper limit to what they can supply (there is a lower one) but so far our Insinkerator instant hot water boiler gasket went (repaired by custom made O ring), the downstairs loo ball cock started leaking, as did a cattle trough and four joints in 25 mpde pipe around the place - this can't be a co-incidence.

I'll try to get them to reduce the pressure on their system, but if this isn't possible I do have a chamber where we installed a private water meter, and there may well be room to fit a pressure reduction valve of our own - if necessary the meter can be removed as SE Water have sadly fitted one at our infeed connection.

It was probably the water hammer that you reported when they first turned the water back on that has upset the system and loosened gaskets and disturbed ball valves. However, 7 bar water pressure does seem very high. I complain when mine suddenly went up to 5 bar and they turned it down. However, it depends on who else is on the main as they try to keep everyone happy so it is a compromise.

I'd definitely consider getting a pressure reducer Andrew. I think the maximum recommended in domestic installations is 80psi. It doesn't need to go much high and you're reaching rated values for boilers, cylinders and the like.

Meeting this afternoon with 'smooth the customers feathers person' from both SE Water and Clancy Docwra went extremely well. They have agreed to all my landscaping, pressure washing, fencing and replanting requests, have agreed to compensate the chap who cut he hedge for them (with a suitable bottle of spirits!), and offered to pay for the use of my digger (which I declined).

Then they agreed to sort out the high pressure either by reducing the main pressure or fitting me a PRV. Then they spotted a technicians van in the next door pumping station, and went to collar him for advice on reducing the pressure ....

.... he was working on a PRV on their distribution system THAT WAS STUCK FULLY OPEN

They have agreed to fix any of my pipework that is still leaking after their PRV is fixed, and they must now have fixed it as I've just measured the pressure as bang on 5 bar

Taken the dogs on a tour of inspection of all the fields water distribution systems, and the only leak left was a 25 mm MDPE elbow on a cattle trough where the pipe had been pushed out of the seal (presumably by that intense water hammer that cracked the second main. A quick (well not SO quick!) trip back to the barn for some spanners and that was soon fixed.

Thanks John, yes you'll be pleased to hear that the teeth have been bushed brushed SEVERAL times since then

However the landscaping hasn't started yet - they came round on Thursday, measured up the considerable amount of turf that they will need, and took sample leaves from the remaining Laurel hedge so that they can match the genus. (In years to come I don't want paler or maybe spotty laurel in what up till this incident was a uniform dark green hedge.